Steam heating system with new steam baseboard

ABSTRACT

This new invention of steam heating system is derived from my new steam baseboards. This new system combines the merits from hot water heating system and traditional steam heating system, but without the shortcoming. We can control the temperature of each room or every floor. This system is easy to apply for large apartment buildings. This system has several zone valves to control the steam flow. The zone valve will be controlled by thermostats. The returned condensation water will be pushed by John&#39;s effect. There is no need for the returned water pipes. The new steam baseboard is made of copper. The heat transfer is much faster than the traditional cast iron radiator. The room temperature is much faster to reach.

This invention is related with steam heating system. The traditional steam heating systems have the boiler, and cast iron radiators. The distribution of heat is very slow and limited. It is single zone type for the whole house or buildings and not enough to provide the heating for the entire buildings. It is common for the first floor too hot and open the window, but the second floor is very cold. The tenants complain that the owner does not supply enough heat for the buildings. My new design in steam heating system will solve this kind of the heating problem. The old system has the returned water pipes which will be omitted in my new design. The distribution of heat is central for the entire buildings. This new system is distributive with one inch pipe for each area (each apartment)

This boiler is designed as FIG. 1. G is a gas regulator. C consists of flame control, boiler temperature control and exhaust flame control. T is for thermostats. Z is zone valves. LWC is low water cut off. There is a transformer to provide the 24 V to drive zone valve. P is pressure gauge and provides the control settled between 2 psi and 10 psi. In this design, we have 3″ pipes out of the boiler. After the 3″ pipe, we have many 1″ pipes connected. We have 6 pipes for 1^(st) floor front, 1^(st) floor rear, 2^(nd) floor front, 2^(nd) floor rear, attic and basement. Associated with the above, we have zone valve, and thermostat. Each 1″ pipe can have up to 3 or more steam baseboards. There is pressure relief valve set at 15 psi. We also have 2 John's pipes (¾″ pipes) at this example for 3″ pipe. With those John's pipes, the noise generated from condensation water can be eliminated. The boiler has low water cutoff device which will associate with automatic water feed. The bottom water level is set at 2′ (ft) and low water cutoff is set at 2′ 2″. The top water level is set at 3′ 6″. The basement heating pipes is set at 4′ 6″. At the beginning, the boiler is turned on. Steam will fill up the whole pipes. Any thermostat reaches the setting temperature, then the associated zone will be closed, therefore no steam will be provided. Any thermostat is not reached the setting temperature, the boiler remains activated. Then pressure gauge will maintain the pressure for the boiler around 5 psi (roughly 2 psi and 10 psi). If all the thermostats reach the setting temperature, the boiler is deactivated. No steam will be provided for this system. Each floor will reach the setting temperature. The whole building is warm according to the setting. The boiler is activated. The steam baseboard is made of copper. See FIG. 1.

The advantage of this design are the following.

1. no noise from the condensation water because applying John's pipes.

2. the heating process is very fast. And heat transfer is much better the old radiators (cast iron)

3. Steam can reach to any part of the buildings without using pump.

4. Each floor has its own setting temperature.

5. Basement has the chance to get heat from boiler with own temperature setting.

6. Each 1″ pipe arises from 3″ pipe has its zone valve and thermostat with several John's steam baseboard.

This new design of steam heating system is combined the merits of both hot water heating system and traditional steam heating system, but without the shortcomings of both. We do not use the returned water pipes and pump. The steam carries more heat than hot water at 212 F. There is water moving noise in hot water system. There are no heat transfer because of the air bubble in the hot water current. The air bubble inside the pipes will stop the current to flow. There is no such problem in this steam heating system. The heat distribution will be provided every part of the buildings (every floor, every room) by individual thermostat and zone valve. The old steam heating system can not be represented by one thermostat. Steam baseboards in steam heating system can be acted as hot water baseboards. Therefore This steam heating system can replace the hot water heating system with much less copper. The heating transfer is much better in steam heating system. This new design is superior to hot water heating system and traditional steam heating system. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1. New design of Steam Heating System with zone valves and steam baseboards to replace the traditional radiators

This new design heating system consists of a steam boiler with 6 zones and each zone has 1″ steam pipe to supply steam for heat. Each zone will be controlled by thermostat at each floor. Thermostat reaches the setting and then the zone is close and stop to supply the steam. If temperature is below the setting, then the zone is open to supply the steam and activate the boiler. Pressure gauge will maintain the steam pressure around 5 psi (between 2 psi and 10 psi). Also pressure relief valve is setting at 15 psi. The steam pressure is under 15 psi. In order to stop noise from the condensation water the John's pipes is applied here. Each zone has 1 to several Steam baseboards. Steam baseboard is designed by John Liu, which is emitted heat very fast and no noise will be generated. Steam baseboard is similar to hot water baseboard which is pretty, light, and heat transfer is much better than the cast iron radiator. 

1. Steam baseboard with zone valves and thermostats for each floor.
 2. Steam baseboard heating at basement is provided.
 3. Apply the John's pipes to quiet the noise generated from the condensation water. The returned water pipes is not needed here. 